JUST KIDDING!

5 good albums to get you started and possibly my 5 favorite albums:

Kind of Blue by Miles Davis - Obvious. The reason this album is great is because of it being arguably the best lineup of all time. With any other group the concept wouldn't have worked.

Saxophone Colossus by Sonny Rollins - Rollins is a genius improviser and this, along with Live at the Village Vangaurd, are his best works, though this is much more accessible.

Complete Jazz at Massey Hall by Charlie Parker - Charlie Parker is at his best live, and this is a wonderful group of musicians. Make sure the label is Jazz Factory and not Original Jazz Classics cause this has more tracks and no overdubbing on bass.

A Love Supreme by John Coltrane - Coltrane's great quartet was at its height when he made this album. It probably won't be accessible at first but is very rewarding after a few listens.

The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman - This is the best place to start with free jazz. Ornette's genius isn't praised enough.

"Mingus Ah Um" is a personal favorite, as is Coltrane's "Blue Train."

after watching snippets of the ken burns' jazz, wynton marsalis revealed the album that turned him onto jazz was mr. coltrane's my favorite things. try that one for your initial forays into (bop) jazz. it's guaranteed to not suck. another one of my favorites is wynton's black codes (from the underground).). these two are good, representatives of straight-ahead jazz, not that nutty ornette coleman stuff (sorry ornette fans). good luck with your choices. i have a lot of overlap with previous contributors to this thread.

check out Kon & Amir

As a relative newcomeer to jazz as well, perhaps a short list of my personal favourites might help.

Polar Bear - Held On The Tips Of Fingers
Neil Cowley Trio - Displaced
Esbjorn Svensson Trio - Tuesday Wonderland
Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters
Zoe Rahmann - Melting Pot

And if anyone has anything to recommend from reading that patehetically short list, I'd love to hear it.

Try some latin jazz! I really love Miguel Zenon right now. Good luck